Rotary cutter



C. F. BALL ROTARY CUTTER Jan. 22, 1929;

Filed Deo. 17, 192'? Patented Jan. V22, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES F. BALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ROTARY CUTTER.

Application filed December 17, 1927. Serial No. 240,807.

This invention relates to rotary cutters oit the type illustrated in my Patents Nos. 900,- 254 and 900,255, dated October 6th, 1908, which are particularly well adapted for reducing to a uniform iineness such-materials as `grain, cork, roots, herbs, spices, etc.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide certain improvement-s in the construction, icrm and arrangement of the several parts or' the cutter, whereby the output of the machine will be greatly increased.

My invention more particularly comprises a machine of the class described in which' a 'tree feeding of the material to be cut is provided for by feeding the lmaterial into the opposite ends of the cutting chamber and a 'tree escape of the cut material is provided for by extending` the sides ot the concave screen upwardly beyond the rotary cutter sha'tt, there-by pern'iitting the use ot' a. single cheek piece having its knives arranged close to gether at the top portion thereof.

A practical embodiment ot my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a half front view and a halt vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical sec,- tionv taken in 'he plane o't the line II-II ot 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

vhe rotary cutter shaft is denoted. by 1, which shaiftvcarries the desired number vot knives 2. The bearingl support for the rotary cutter shaft comprises lower halt bearings il and upper lialtbearings 4 provided with lower and upper end plate sections 5 and 6 respectively. The lower end plate sections 9, 5 are shown as uprising- 'from a suitable base 7.

A single concave cheek piece S is provided, which cheek piece is removably secured at its ends by bolts to the upper end plate sections 6, 6. The desired number of stationary adjustable knives are arranged close together along the top ot the cheek piece in position to coact with the knives 2 on the rotary cutter shatt- 1. The concave screen 11 extends about three-quarters of the way around the rotary cutter shaft 1 and has its edges removably lseated in longitudinal grooves 12, 12 in the cheek piece S. This screen together with the cheek piece surround the rotary cutter sharlt 1 between the end plates and serve to form a cutting chamber 13. rlhe cheek piece 8 is provided with downwardly curved sides 14,

14, spaced from the upper portions of the screen and extending to thedividing line between the lower and upper end bearings. This screen 11 ymay be heid in place bya cradle 15 pivoted to the lower end plate sections 5, 5, at o-neside of the machine by bolts 19, 10, and held in position by cams 17,17 c; rried by the said lower end plate sections at the other side of the machine. Guides 18, 18 carried by the upper end plate sections 0, 6 serve to aeilitate the insertion of the edges ot the screen 11 into the grooves 12, 12.

A hopper 19 is removably mounted on the upper end plate sections 0, 6 and the cheek piece 8, which hopper' has two bottom openings 20, 20 arranged to discharge the material to be cut into the opposite ends the cutting chamber `13 through ports 21, 214 in the upper end plate sections 6, 6.

Access may be obtained to the knives of the rotary cutter by either removing all ot the bolts 9 and then removing theche'ek piece entirely, or the bolts 9 at one side ofthe machine may be removed and the upper bolts 9 on the other side also removed, allowing the cheek piece to be swung open on the remaining bolts in either direction, as the case lmay be. In this latter instance it is to be understood that the hopper '19 should first be removed frein its position on the cheek piece 8 and upper end plate sections 0, 6,

The rotary cutter as herein set torth is not only much simpler in construction than the rotary cutters of this type heretofore produced, but also greatly increases the output in operation. it will be noted that all ot the stationary knives 10 are now mounted in a single cheek piece and this cheek piece may be either entirely removed or swung open in either direction for gaining access to the knives. It will also be seen that I have provided ready means tor facilitating the insertion ot the edges ot the screen into their grooves in the cheek piece. It will flirt-hen more be seen that by extending the screen more than half way around the cutter shaft I am enabled to obtain a very free outlet for the disintegrated material, thus taking care oit the additional material which can besupplied to the machine by feeding it into the opposite ends of the cutting chamber.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope-of my invention hence, I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

That I claim is l. In a rotary cutter', a rotary critter shaft, a bearing support therefor including end plates, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and means for feeding the material to be cut into the opposite ends of the chamber.

2. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a. bearing support therefor including end plates, a cheek piece and its bottom screen 'lorniiing with the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and means for feeding the material to be cut into the opposite ends of the chamber, said screen extending more than half Way around the cutter shaft.

3. In a rotary critter, a rotary cutter shaft` a bearing support therefor including end plates, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming With the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and means for feeding the material to be cut through the end plates into the opposite ends of the chamber.

4. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor' including end plates, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and means for feeding the material to be eut through the end plates into the opposite ends of the chamber, said screen extending more than half Way around the cutter shaft.

5. In a. rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor including' end plates having ports therethrough, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and a hopper arranged to discharge the material to be eut to said ports to befed into the opposite ends of the cutting chamber.

6. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor including end plates having ports therethrough, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a circumferentially closed cutting chamber, and a hopper arranged to discharge the material to be cnt to said ports to be fed into the opposite ends of the cutting chamber, said screen extending more than half Way around the cutter shaft.

7. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor including end plates, a cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a cutting chamber, and means for feeding the material t0 be cut into the opposite ends of the chamber, said cheek piece being removably secured to the end plates and capable of being swung open in either' direction or to be entirely removed.

8. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor including' end plates, a cheek piece removably secured to Ithe end plates, a bottom screen having its upper edges removably engaged with the cheer piece, and guides on the end plates for facilitating the engagement of the screen with the cheek piece.

9. In a rotary cutter, a rotary cutter shaft, a bearing support therefor including end plates, a cheek piece removably secured to the end plates, a bottom screen having its upper edges removably engaged with the cheek piece, said cheek piece and screen forming with the end plates a eireumferentially closed cutting chamber, and a hopper removably mounted on the cheek piece and end plates, said hopper being arranged to feed the material into the opposite ends of the cutting chamber through said end plates.

l0. In a rotary cutter, a rotary critter shaft, a bearing support therefor including end plates, a single cheek piece and its bottom screen forming with the end plates a circumf ferentially closed cutting chamber, knives carried by the critter shaft, and knives Carried by the cheek piece in position to eoact With the knives on the cutter shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingias my invention, I have signed my name this 14th day of November, 1927.

nCHARLES F. BALL. 

